CHICAGO, IL – An advocacy group is asking for the resignation of a very popular character!

CHICAGO, IL – An advocacy group is asking for the resignation of a very popular character!

Would the fast food world come to a stop if Ronald McDonald retired? Advocacy groups and critics of the red-haired clown could care less and want the iconic figure to hang them up. They believe that the cartoon promotes unhealthy eating, especially amongst the nation’s youth.

McDonald’s Corp.’s CEO Jim Skinner said Thursday that there is no way that is happening.

“the answer is no,” Skinner told a room full of shareholders who gathered for a meeting at the company’s headquarters in Chicago.

“He is a force for good,” Skinner said, adding that the nearly 50-year-old clown is an ambassador for the McDonald’s brand and its Ronald McDonald House Charities. “He communicates effectively with children and families around balanced, active lifestyles. He does not hawk food.”

Corporate Accountability International, which describes itself as a corporate abuse watchdog, is leading the charge for the retirement of Ronald McDonald.

“Ronald McDonald is a pied piper drawing youngsters all over the world to food that is high in fat, sodium and calories,” said Alfred David Klinger, a retired Chicago physician who volunteers with the organization. “On the surface, Ronald is there to give children enjoyment in all sorts of way with toys, games and food. But Ronald McDonald is dangerous, sending insidious messages to young people.”

The Boston Organization has spent the past two months mounting a “Retire Ronald” campaign. So far it has received support from about 10,000 people.